Finished with my Training

Monday, May 26, 2008

I am finished with my finisher and am waiting for a truck. I was able to go by my home and get my wife and dog and the stuff I need for the road. I hope to be on the road soon.

I didn’t care for, and that is putting it mildly, for my trainer. CFI has some good finishers but I didn’t get one that I liked. But I was able to learn from him and get my 7500 mile done in 2 ½ weeks. I made $669.00 the first week and I didn’t get on the truck till Wednesday night and the week ends on Saturday. The second week I made $970.00. Not bad for being in training. This week will be a little less and so will next week because I am waiting on a truck. I will receive lay over pay for those days of $60.00 a day.

I am with My Finisher

I have been out with my trainer for 10 days and I have driven a little less than 6000 mile. At 7500 I get in my own truck. I should have that by the end of the week. I have covered 20 states so far. I have driven in New York City, Chicago, and Dallas just to nave a few of the cities that I have driven through. The training hasn’t been easy but I am will soon be done with this part. I have been trying hard to learn as much as I can while I am with the trainer. I will soon be on my own.

Welcome New Students

Welcome to all the new students and congratulations to you Iceman. To the new students; work hard and get all the practice that you can. Everything you do at school you will be doing again when you get to orientation with a company. If you have your pre-trip, backing, and shifting skills good then it will be easier and less stressful. Don’t settle with just getting through. Also it is time that you get all your information together as far as employment history, driving, and criminal records. We lost two of our group; one with medical (they do their own medical and drug test) and one for driving record. Con-way only requires a three year work history for those that haven’t been driving but other companies require five and ten years of verifiable history so start working on that now. I had one company that would not respond so they accepted a copy of the W-2’s. If any of you decide to come to Con-way feel free to contact me and I will give you my recruiter’s name. She is good and straight forward and you can do application over the phone. Just have all the information together. Good luck again and work hard.

Just a word of goodluck to the new guys

Hello to all the new meat for the grinder I mean new students. Just one thing listen to Mr.Warran & Mr.Bentley it will help you trust me, there both very good instructors and the man in the black hat can tell a good joke or two. I was also going to say I will be starting OTR training this week with star transport I am excited well all you guys be careful and remember the big word SAFETY. Oh and good luck and best wishes to all the new guys and girls .

New Class

Welcomming a new class this month. Fresh lambs for the slaughter.
Hey old students let the new guys know its not so bad....
Rabbi

Waiting for My Finisher

I am finished with my orientation at Con-Way Truck Load and waiting for my finisher. He will be in Joplin Wednesday so I have a day to do nothing. They put us up in a Quality Inn while we wait. CWTL has a shuttle that runs a route every half hour to the terminal and around town that is free to take. They take good care of their people. This is a first class company.

Just a big THANKS

I just wanted to take the time and say thanks to Mr. Warran & Mr Bentley I thought I learned more from you tow then I did over the last few years and just wanted to say very gratefuland to all the other students you all be safe. I don't know about the rest of you guys but I made alot of good friends at TTC@N that I know the roads will be more pleasent all be safe and will see you out there .

CFI Boot Camp

I am spending what is referred to here as boot camp. When you get to CFI/Con-Way (Joplin, MO) you will spend the first Monday at orientation at their headquarters. It is very impressive and intimidating. You get picked up at the bus station and taken to a hotel where you will stay two to a room. They pick you up Monday morning for your day at orientation. After a very busy day of filling out forms and signing you name you are taken to a different hotel at Neosho, MO near Crowder College where you will stay till the next Monday Morning. You get picked up at 0700 each morning on a bus and taken to the College that is only 5 minutes away except on Thursday they pick you up in trucks at 0330 at the hotel for a night drive down town Neosho on very sharp turns and country and interstate roads. You will be doing everything that you have already done at TTC@Nashville but at a full fast paced 10 hour days. You are expected to already know the basics so learn as much as you can but at the same time you will be with people that have gone to schools that aren’t as good as what you have. But the more you learn the less imitating this will be. We drive 15 speeds KenWorth T2000’s. Nice trucks all furnished by CFI. You will be driving T2000 or the T600 at CFI so you are being trained in the same truck that you will be driving for CFI. Crowder has a skid pad that was build at a cost of 1.3 million that we get to use to practice doing skid recoveries. Other drivers from police forces excreta also pay to use this for training (getting to play at tax payers’ expense). It is a training tool that you won’t get most places. They really take care of you here and you get invaluable training. After a week of boot camp you are taken back to Head Quarters where you meet your trainer for a 7500 mile training period. This takes about three weeks and you do all the driving. Then you get your own truck. They keep their trucks for 500,000 miles and then you get a new truck. They don’t go by seniority so you either will get a new truck or one that isn’t very old. If you get a truck that has 300 or 400,000 miles on it you will be getting a new one when it reaches the 500,000 mile mark. It takes about 4 years to get the 500,000 miles. The trucks have bunk heaters in them. This is a first class company but can be difficult to get accepted.